Portable electric lantern



March 28, 195,0 c. s. PACKER ETAL PORTABLE ELECTRIC LANTERN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'Filed Jan. 11, 194'( INVENToR. [fla/laf 5 R26/nef, BY/Varz/fz f?. Ulerz, Mza# 4 @Wr/4% .nr/f I...

March 28, 1950 c. s. PAcKl-:R ETAI.

'PORTABLE ELECTRIC LANTERN 2 sheets-sheet? Filed Janv. 11, 1947 INVENTORE- C/Za/e Fao/en' ,llllllllllllllllllllllIllIl Patented Mar. 28, 1950 PORTABLE ELECTRIC LAN TERN Charles S. Packer, Chicago, and Marvin E. Olsen,

Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignors to Justrite Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 11, 1947, Serial No. 721,614

3 Claims.

The invention relates to electric lanterns of the type generally used for signalling and other temporary illuminating purposes and has reference more particularly to an improved lantern of this character having a plurality of lamps supported by a switch member and which is mounted for reciprocating movement with respect to the reflector so that one of said lamps may be positioned centrally of the reflector at the same time that the circuit through the lamp is closed.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of an improved switch member with actuating means therefor and which will have a plurality of indexed positions upon manual manipulation to establish an electrical circuit including one of said lamps depending on the particular indexed position of the switch member.

A further object is to provide a switch member for use in lanterns of the character described which will have a plurality of projections adapted to engage depressions formed in guiding means therefor so that the switch member is indexed in a plurality of positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide switch mechanism for electric lanterns and the like including a switch member mounting a plurality of lamps in combination with guiding means for guiding the member in its reciprocating movement and wherein said guiding means constitutes one of the electric terminals for the rswitch and also coacts with the switch member in a manner to index the same in certain on and oi positions.

A further object resides in the provision of an electric lantern having resilient guiding rails for a reciprocable switch member and wherein the guiding rails are provided with depressions to function as detent means with respect to the switch member for positioning and maintaining the member in indexed positions, certain of which constitute on and off positions of the switch.

With these and other objects in view the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specication, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a View in cross section of a portable electric lantern equipped with the improved switch structure of the invention;

(Cl. Z-10.63)

Figure 2 is another view in cross section through the lantern as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a View in end elevation showing the reilector of the present lantern in combination with the reciprocable switch member;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the switch member forming the reciprocable mounting for the lamps;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 5--5 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

The electric lantern selected for illustrating the present invention is similar in many respects to the lantern described and claimed in the patent to Packer No. 2,289,276, granted July '7, 1942, and entitled Portable electric lantern. Such lanterns are generally used for signalling by railroad men although, of course, they may be used for other purposes where temporary illumination is required. As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing I0 has a detachable cover or cap II at one end and a reflector head I2 at its other end. The housing Il) is formed of two substantially U-shaped parts I4 and I5, Figure 6, connected together in overlapping relation by means of the rivets I6 which likewise secure a finishing channel strip I1 to the housing at the overlapping edges of parts I4 and I5. The housing IU is closed at one end by said reflector head I2 which comprises a substantially circular plate I8 having an annular flange 20 which telescopically receives the rellector 2I and secures the same in proper position as by means of a plurality of screws 22. The reilector head I2 is secured in operative position at this end of the housing II) by means of brackets 23 and 24. Each of said brackets has one leg thereof secured to the plate member I8 as by the screws 25 and the other leg of the bracket is received in one of the opposed recesses 26 provided therefor in the housing I 0. The brackets are secured to the housing by means of a plurality of rivets 21 which extend through plates l28 located exteriorly of housing I0 and which plates may have tubular end portions for receiving wire supporting elements, as clearly shown in detail in Patent No. 2,289,276, previously referred to.

The other end of housing I0 is normally closed by a detachable cover or cap II, as previously described, and which is provided with a leai spring 30 secured thereto by rivets such as 3I, the said leaf spring being adapted to resiliently engage one end of a battery set 32 for resiliently holding the battery set within the housing and to prevent displacement thereof. The cover ll is detachably connected to the housing by means of oppositely disposed buttons 33 projecting through aligned openings in the housing and the marginal ange of the cover. The buttons 33 are secured adjacent one end to the nat springs 34 disposed adjacent the inner face of the housing and which springs are connected to said housing by means of rivets 35.

The plate IB of the reflector head is formed with an elongated slot 3S, Figure 5, through which projects a spring contact element 3? secured by means of rivet 38 to an insulating plate fill. The rivet 38 likewise secures a center contact plate l l Figure 6, to the said insulating plate ll, which contact plate is of metal and is adapted to be engaged by the spring terminal i2 of the battery set 32. The plate il is disposed in concentric relation with respect to an opening i3 formed in the square plate lill. The said plate Mi is suitably secured to the insulating plate lil and to plate I8 -by means of the rivets l5 which extend through the said plates to depend below plate lli and to additionally secure to said plate in depending relation therewith the resilient guiding members i6 and 4l. It will be seen that the members have spaced relation on the respective -sides oi the spring contact element 3l and that said resilient guiding members extend in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of slot 35. As a result of the structure described the. said guiding members it and 4l, plate it, and the square plate @i4 are in electrical contact with each other so that these elements comprise the negative terminal of the electric circuit to the lamps since plate M is in electrical contact with the leaf .spring terminal i8 of the battery set 32.

The reiector is formed with a concave or dished surface centrally of which there is provided an elongated slot 50, Figure 3, to provide a channel' by reason of the angular disposition of the marginal walls l bordering the said slot 5o. The channel provides a seat for and the channel receives a movable switch member 52, Figure 4, which consists of side walls 53 and 5t connected by a connecting wall or web 55. The switch member is mounted within the channel provided by the angularly disposed walls 5l of the reiiector 2l and the member is yieldingly maintained in position within said channel by the resilient guide rails 46 and M which in addition to functioning as guiding means are provided with a plurality of spaced depressions 56 for indexing purposes. In this connection, it will be observed that the switch member 52 is formed with a plurality of projections 5l provided along the edges of the side walls 53 and 54. The projections are spaced a distance approximately equally the spacing of depressions 56 so that when the parts are in contacting relation, as shown in Figure 2,A the guiding rails l5 and 4l will function as detent means with respect to the switch member to releasably maintain the switch member in desired indexed position, which may constitute an on or an oir position of said switch member.

The switch member 52 provides a mounting for a plurality of lamps such as 6B and 6l, each of which is mounted within a socket t2 which extends through a suitable aperture in the connecting web 55 of the switch member. The extendingl portions of socket 62 have threadedly secured thereto a nut 63 which holds the socket to the switch member, the nuts 63 having a center sleeve of insulating material through which extends the center contacts for the lamps, respectively. The center contact for lamp B0 is designated by numeral Sli, whereas, the center contact for lamp Si is designated by numeral 65. The nuts 63 of the respective lamps 60 and '5I are connected by insulating plate 55. It will therefore be apparent that the switch structure of the invention is adapted to complete a circuit from the battery set through either one of the lamps 60, 6|, depending on the position of switch member 52 with respect to the reflector head and reflector of the lantern. The reciprocable mounting for member 52, which makes possible the establishment of an electric circuit through either one of the lamps selectively, is releasably held in desired indexed position by the detent means including the projections 5l on the switch member and depressions 56 on the guiding rails. Said guiding rails therefore perform a dual function since they resiliently engage the side walls 53 and of the switch member for indexing purposes and also have contacting relation with the switch member to provide one terminal of the electric circuit to the lamps, namely, from the leaf spring terminal i8 of the battery set through plate 44, rivets Q5 to said guide rails 45 and lll and thus to the switch member 52 and through lamps 653 and 5l, the other terminal comprising the center contacts 6ft and 65, spring contacting element 3l, the center rivet 38 and the spring terminal 42.

For reciprocating the switch member 52, a pivot stud 5t is provided by the reflector head l2, the said stud being suitably secured to plate I8 in depending relation as shown in Figure 2. The annular flange 2) and the reflector 2l are each provided with a slot or recess designated 69, Figure 5, located adjacent the stud 68 and which slot or recess is provided for receiving the actuating lever 'it having an exteriorly projecting handle portion ll and a part l2 located within the reflector head portion in the vicinity of slot 35. The actuating lever lil is pivotally supported by the pivot stud 68 and when the parts are operatively assembled it will be observed that part 'l2 is adapted to enter recess 13, Figure 4, formed in wall 53 of the switch member 52 and which recess is provided with abutments on the respective sides thereof, whereby part 'l2 is properly confined within said recess and operative upon pivotal movement of lever 'lll for effecting reciprocating movement o the switch member 52. Accordingly, upon manipulation of the actuating member 'Ill movement may be imparted to switch member 52 to position the same as shown in Figure 3, in which position of the member the electric circuit to lamp Si is closed. When the switch member is centrally positioned as shown in Figure l the electrical circuit to both lamps is open and thus neither lamp is lit. It is also possible to locate the switch member in a position opposite to that shown in Figure 3 whereby lamp to will be centrally positioned and the circuit to the same will be automatically closed since the contact element 31 will be in contacting relationv with the center contact Sli. The switch member is yieldingly held in each of the positions as above described by the detent means including the projections 5l on the member which have coactlng relation with the recess 56 formed in the guiding rails [i6 and 4l.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated in the drawings, as various forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric lantern, a housing having a slot adjacent one end thereof, a source of electrical energy, means associated with said housing for establishing an electrical circuit with said source of electrical energy including electrical contact means, a movable switch member having electrical contact means adapted to engage said first named electrical contact means, a plurality of lamps supported by said switch member and extending through said slot whereby said lamps are disposed exteriorly of the housing, an actu ating device mounted upon and operable exteriorly of the housing and articulate-dly associated with said switch member for moving the member in a direction longitudinally of said slot to locate the member in desired operative position, and guiding means for the switch member comprising spaced resilient rails included in said electrical circuit, said spaced resilient rails having indexing means and being yieldingly biased into yielding contact with the switch member for releasably maintaining the switch member in desired operative position.

2. In an electric lantern, the combination of a housing including a reflector provided with a channel, an opposed wall, a source of electrical energy, contact means in electrical association with said electrical energy, a movable switch member mounted in said channel and having contact means engageable with said rst named contact means to complete and interrupt an elecm trical circuit established through said switch from said source of energy, guiding means xed to said opposed wall including spaced resilient rails having yielding contact with said switch member,A a pivoted actuating member extending exteriorly of the housing for manual operation, said actuating member having a part articulatedly associated with the switch member for operating said member, said resilient rails having spaced depressions formed therein and said switch member having projections coacting with said depressions to provide detent means for positioning and releasably maintaining the movable switch member in desired position.

3. In an electric lantern, the combination of a housing having a transversely disposed wall of concave formation adjacent one end thereof provided with a slot substantially centrally of the wall and having a channel-shaped recess formed by the angular disposition of the walls on each longitudinal side of the slot, a source of electrical energy, means for establishing an electrical circuit with said source of electrical energy including a movable switch member mounted in the recess, said switch member including spaced walls having slidable association with the walls of said recess respectively, guiding means for the switch member including spaced resilient rails each having yielding contact with a wall of said switch member, a lamp mounted in said switch member and extending through said slot and being disposed eXteriorly of said wall of concave formation, said resilient rails each being xed to the housing and having depressions in spaced relation longitudinally thereof, and said walls of the switch member each having projections adapted to -coact with the said depressions when the parts are in contacting relation for releasably holding the switch member in any one of a plurality of positions.

CHARLES S. PACKER. MARVIN R. OLSEN,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

